A meeting with Maskin Farthing of the Farthing Custom & Trade house one morning revealed that his daughter Briella had gone missing. She apparently left around 8 years ago with a priest of Waukeen named Devlin in search of an ancient artifact called the Sacred Heart of the Beast. This artifact would allow them to tame an island of strange creatures that they had stumbled upon in the hopes of opening up a thriving tourism trade by making large animals safe for visitors to come and be around. Maskin tells us that Briella is a very powerful practitioner of magic and while she’s been gone they’ve been in constant contact via a two way scrying mirror but about 2 weeks ago the mirror went black and they haven’t been able to get in contact. His daughter created a powerful gateway on the ocean that leads to this mysterious island but has kept it secret even from him until recently which he believes he’s now found. He would like us to go in search of his daughter and return her. His last communication with Briella involved someone named Prince Faruq of Calimport coming to visit the island and possibly invest.

After examining the mirror and talking to one of Maskin’s mages on the subject it’s concluded that the other mirror Briella’s must be broken or somehow disenchanted. I learn more about this Sacred Heart of the beast from the temple of Sune who tell it’s a mistake of Sune herself created when she was new in an effort to allow her followers to enjoy the beauty of nature by creating an area in which no animal could harm another. It was only after they realized how dangerous this could be on an eco-system and implore us not to return it and if possible destroy it.

The following day we get on board the Mares Milk a vessel of Maskin’s which is to take us to the island via way of the magical gate somewhere a couple days travel on the ocean. To our delight we find Clampett our chef from Dolly’s Anger to have hired himself out for this voyage. Introducing myself to Captain Dara Nando I find myself stunned by her beauty and fierceness. It is rare to find a woman on board any vessel let alone captaining one, which tells of how tough she must be to keep her crew in line.

I spend the next couple of days entertaining the crew and trying to charm the lovely Dara. When we finally pass through the nearly invisible magical gateway we see an island in the distance and at that moment we strike a large log floating in the ocean. Before it can rip the vessel apart Captain Dara gets the crew to slow and then halt her ship. She asks us if we can deal with clearing the log from in front which Omega, Clearice and myself set too leaping into the waters. Once there I clearly see the log to be the mast of a sunken vessel and drop towards the ship both to investigate it and search for treasure. Omega pulls out his sword and starts to hack away at the mast to try and free the Mares Milk from it. Clearice follows me down probably to keep an eye on me I suspect.

Inside the sunken ship we find a chest full of Calimshite coins and magical items on what we assume was the captain or owner of the vessel which is called the Reaver. Clearice manages to float the chest of coins up to the Mares Milk on a magical disk. Once topside again we inform Captain Dara of our findings who claims half the chest for her crew and seems impressed with my ability to hold my breath for over an hour and with a wink suggests I visit her later.

It was at this point the old superstition of tossing a coin overboard before a voyage comes to mind and realizing our error everyone tosses in a couple coins in the hopes that whatever creature could tear apart the Reaver doesn’t do so to the Mares Milk. As we approach the island we clearly see the docks to be nearly destroyed but useable while 2 more sunken ships lay in the bottom of the ocean next to the docks. Managing to skillful maneuver her vessel to the docks Captain Dara bids us good luck as we head out to investigate the island.

We come upon a camp that is set up to be a visitor center area for when the place gets opened to tourists. The place is a mess as several buildings appeared burnt while another is crushed by a fallen tree. We enter the main building some sort of greeting center to find the kitchen was used recently perhaps a few days ago according to Xavier while Clearice examines blood stains on the wall and finds some green flakey substance on the main door. Another building we examine must have been the temple set up to Waukeen. Upstairs is where we find Devlin who apparently committed suicide. Reading through his journal it’s apparent a druid named Baerwald was upset over their bringing the Sacred Heart of the beast gemstone to the island and interrupting nature in the process. It’s noted that Briella and two others traveled to check on the stone to make sure it’s safe guards are in place after some dinosaurs somehow managed to overcome the peaceful effect and attacked the camp!

The log revealed that a storm sunk both vessels and possibly lead to a tree falling on the building housing the mirror, which destroyed the mirror, or it was the druid who made the tree fall they weren’t certain. With Prince Faruq never showing hope fled, as things got even worse since someone was bitten by one of the dinosaurs and seemed to become infected with something that spread to others in camp. Devlin was forced to kill and burnt their bodies and with no hope of communication with anyone off the island and Briella and the others missing and not returning from the volcano housing the artifact Devlin committed suicide by hanging himself. Our inspection of Devlin revealed some green infection in his spine meaning he himself was somehow infected.

After a brief glance around we found the barracks where Devlin had killed and burned the bodies of the rest of the camp. Avoiding contact with the bodies we started to leave only to encounter a very large Triceratops that must have been 5 times larger then any we’d ever seen! Omega offered him some fish from a barrel he found in the kitchen of the visitor center and surprisingly it seemed to enjoy them going so far as to shove it’s face deep into the barrel to get every last morsel. Omega wanted to keep it for another pet or mount but we pointed out that a creature which is longer then the ship wouldn’t fit obviously.

Suddenly remembering a conversation with Maskin Farthing that Captain Dara was under orders to retrieve some dinosaurs we rushed back to her ship to try and stop them before they became infected by whatever wiped out the camp. Clearice blurted everything out to the captain as she along with half her crew was dragging 2 dinosaurs towards the ship. The crew fearing disease nearly rioted right there on the docks but Clearice promised to examine each one and while that was going Omega was getting the crew drunk as I told silly jokes and stories. Fortunately no one on board had any signs of the green infection.

We then headed back to the camp where I picked up the shards of the mirror thinking Maskin may want these in case he can repair it using magic to reenable the 2 way scrying mirror set. Then we set out towards the volcano. During our trek through we encounter a massive T-Rex covered in green slime. All our efforts to hurt it seemed futile even Clearice’s Blade Barrier didn’t bother it despite shearing off half it’s face! As soon as we cut it the slime seemed to repair the cuts. Finally remembering fire to be useful against the infection Clearice burnt the dinosaur and made it flee in terror but not before Omega was covered head to toe in green goo!

We built a fire and bade him to stand in it but while some of the slime seemed to get burnt off not all of it and finally we were forced to use his sword and scrape the rest off his body. Once done we pushed on until we reached the base of the volcano where we found what appeared to be a dried up water bed leading straight to the top and at the bottom a tunnel recently dug going deep into the heart of the volcano. Following directions from Devlin’s journal we head to the top of the volcano where the Sacred Heart of the Beast was supposed to be.

As we crest a ridge we see inside the volcano’s mouth 6 magma elementals surrounding Briella and an old druid we assume to be Baerwald. It’s clear Briella is undertaking some magical ritual as strands of the weave itself can be seen in her hands as she is somehow undoing something around a large red gemstone that is imbedded in the volcano’s crusted surface.

Omega shouts out asking if they need any help. The magma elementals and Baerwald approach him while the rest of us stay hidden. Finally we all go down as Clearice informs the druid that we are hear to rescues Briella and see the Relic destroyed as well and intend no harm. Briella finally stops what she is doing and comes over, she claims that the druid has shown her the errors of her ways and she is going to destroy the gem but will die in the attempt and accepts that as penance for ever bringing the stone to the island in the first place. I try and talk her out of it by seeing if using a favor from Waukeen would somehow help but according to Clearice who communed with her god they are unable to interfere with the relic as it’s planar locked to the prime material plane.

Xavier then starts to walk towards the sacred heart of the beast all the while talking about how much good Briella can now do in the world with her magical powers she is able to help more than he ever could and as they reach near the stone offers to take her place in removing it and thereby sacrificing himself. Baerwald wants him to make sure he has the blessings of his goddess Tymora and hands him a commune scroll which he reads and enters a trance. We see a coin flip in the air as suddenly he comes out of the trance and nods his head that everything will be okay. Satisfied Baerwald agrees to it and Briella releases the last of the safe guards and with a wave teleports the rest of us to safety on the Mares Milk. Just as Captain Dara sets sail from the island, a loud explosion is visible as the volcano erupts.

With great sadness in my heart for the loss of a friend, I found it hard to continue the romance with Captain Dara that had so quickly blossomed in just a few days on the way to this island. Captain Dara seemed to understand as we spent what free time she had talking together quietly about the future and should our paths ever cross again we agreed we would see where our hearts would take us. For now, we respect each other’s life choice. Her choice to sail the ocean in search of fame, fortune and adventure. Mine to defend the city, tell tales of adventure borne out by others and raise my daughter.

Upon returning to Raven’s Bluff we were greeted by a strange and welcome sight as standing on the docks was Xavier! Somehow restored by Baerwald and his god since what he did was a noble self sacrifice he didn’t deserve to die. It came at a cost it seems as Xavier has holes in his memory regarding his training but he’s gained a sexy new tattoo. Shadow as well seems smaller then I remember even.

Maskin is thrilled that Briella is home safe and sound and offers us the reward as promised. I hand over the shards to the mirror. I bring the signet ring of Prince Faruq that we found in the sunken ship to the embassy of Calimshan where they are grateful for its return and let us keep the scimitar we recovered in gratitude. After words I travel to the temple of Sune and spend a full day recounting in vivid detail everything that happened with the Sacred Heart of the Beast and how it was destroyed while acolytes record my words for their personal records. Xavier even decides to join me down at Valerie’s Orphanage where he decides to take up the position of cook!

Rewards
6250XP for all but Xavier who got some readjusting after self-sacrifice
2000g each reward
One Chiv point each
One Honor to Xavier for sacrificing himself but ANDY will decide
Treasure chest of Calimport coins = 5000g / 4 which is 1000g each + 1000g to party treasury
Broken Mirror scrying shards (in case they want to repair it gave back to them)

Monocle of Fine Appraisals: This monocle adds a +2 bonus to all appraising proficiency checks made by the wearer, and instantly reveals fake gems or counterfeit art. The wearer must have the appraising proficiency in order to gain these benefits from the monocle. Further, PCs with the forgery proficiency may employ the monocle to unerringly identify forged documents. This monocle does not benefit those without the required proficiencies, as those people do not know what they are looking for. (Clearice)

Golden Scimitar of the Seven Families: This beautifully forged blade, an heirloom of the family of Prince Faruq of Calimport, is fashioned from purest gold, magically hardened to withstand even the strongest blow (saves as “hard metal,” +4). It functions as a +3 scimitar for rogues, and as a +2 scimitar for all other classes.
Further, the blade may be employed to quell any sandstorm, magical or mundane, a process that takes one round and expends a single charge. It also may be used to avoid any single attack from an Efreet, Dao, marid, djinn or lesser genie. This use is instantaneous, and expends two charges. The blade contains four charges.
(Xavier takes this)

Signet Ring of Prince Faruq: This gold ring, emblazoned with the personal seal of Prince Faruq of Calimport (a petty noble), acts exactly like a ring of protection +1
(I offer to bring it to a diplomat of Calimshan and they are grateful for the return of this and knowledge of Prince Faruq’s demise and let us keep the scimitar in thanks)

Mark of the Hierophant: The owner of this certificate chose to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the balance of Forgotten Island. As a reward, the PC has been reincarnated by Baerwald, Hierophant of Silvanus. (Xavier)